ZooNation performing at C3 Festivals 2026, photography by Alicia Clarke

“We have been absolutely delighted to partner with Company Three. They created such a warm and welcoming space for the young writers we work with, whilst giving them an unforgettable experience sharing their words on stage in front of an eager and enthusiastic audience and alongside incredible young actors."

Sam, Founder of Write Back

For the first time, at this year’s C3 Festivals, we welcomed special guest performers from two brilliant London-based youth arts organisations - ZooNation and Write Back - to create and perform alongside our members.

C3 Festivals is Company Three’s annual festival championing youth creativity and culture to create change. Each year we look for ways to broaden the festival to include new young people, new audiences and new ideas.

So in 2026, we reached out to two organisations doing exceptional work with young people locally. We invited their groups to co-create original response pieces to two Company Three plays, exploring themes like imagining the last 24 hours on earth and navigating unspoken social codes.

This collaboration allowed us to expand the artforms represented at the festival and learn from organisations whose specialisms differ from our own.

ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company is best known for its full-length narrative dance productions, strongly influenced by hip hop culture and music. Alongside this, they run a dynamic programme of engagement and talent development, supporting young artists and communities to build skills, knowledge, and confidence in their distinctive style of dance theatre.

And Write Back specialise in creative writing, their mission to build confidence, creativity, and social connections among young people by empowering them to share their own stories to find self-esteem and agency.

We collaborated throughout the creative process. Our adult artists met in a shared practice lab to exchange ideas, and we held two workshop swaps - visiting each other’s groups and introducing young people to new art forms, approaches and ways of working.

At the heart of C3 festivals, there is a belief that young people deserve spaces to share their ideas and artistry, and connection is sparked when those are created and audiences listen. Collaborations like the Festivals Exchange remind us what’s possible when we come together with openness, curiosity and a shared commitment to youth-led work.

Find out more about our Exchange work here: www.companythree.co.uk/exchange